Faith

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It’s easy to sing the old hymn “I Surrender All”, or sit and listen to the pastor preach on how important it is to surrender your life to God. What does surrendering your life to God really mean, and how will it change your life?

Surrendering your life to God, means you are willing to go wherever he sends you, even if you have no idea where that place may be. You can take comfort in the fact that God is always with you, and is working behind the scenes to work all things out for your highest good. Take comfort in the words of Proverbs 3: 5-6, “Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to Him, and he will make your paths straight.”

One aspect of surrender that I am very familiar with is waiting for answered prayer in God’s timing. I had a very stressful job in customer service, trying to interact with angry customers, and I just felt that I was so burned out that I couldn’t stand it another day. I prayed and set different goal dates for giving my notice for 2 years before God worked circumstances out so I could leave the job, and still be in a good financial place. It was frustrating, but looking back I can understand why God wanted me to wait.

Surrendering your life to God may involve praying for a miracle, but not knowing how God will answer. My first husband was a heavy drinker, and developed liver cancer. I thought that nothing would ever make Frank give up the bottle, but when we were notified that he might be eligible to have a liver transplant, he quit drinking cold turkey. I saw this as an immediate answer to my prayer that we would get the transplant and the cancer would be gone. God had a different idea, and Frank was turned down for the transplant. A few months later I became a widow at 48.

Our ultimate example of self-surrender is Jesus. On the eve of the crucifixion, Jesus surrendered himself to the will of God. He prayed this heartfelt prayer, “Father, everything is possible for you. Please take this cup of suffering away from me. Yet I want your will, not mine."

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